Challenges by Sharon Green Page B

as no surprise that it was breakfast which they fed each other, even though most people were almost ready to have lunch. Despite their early return to the house last night, Selendi, Homin and Bron—had still slept late. Kambil was awake, however, and when Delin joined him in the sitting room Kambil looked up.
    “I heard you leaving this morning, and wondered whether it was a woman or business which got you out of bed so early,” Kambil said with a smile. “Then I realized that you were more determined than anticipating, and immediately ruled out the ladies. I can see you were successful in whatever the business was, so I’ll only ask if it concerns our joint project.”
    “It certainly does, and you’re very much a spoilsport,” Delin answered, finding it impossible to hold back a pleased grin. “I wanted to make an announcement, but now you’ve ruined it. I have just what we need to know, and all it cost me was five gold dins.”
    “Now that’s a reasonable price,” Kambil said with raised brows. “How could someone with all the knowledge we needed ask so little?”
    “It was because the man didn’t have it, he only guarded it,” Delin said with a laugh. “I paid a visit to the main offices of the testing authority—wearing plain clothes and a gentleman’s privacy mask—and discovered that there was only one guard on duty on the premises. The man had been drinking and was dead asleep and snoring, and never even stirred when I walked past him. On the way out I left five gold dins in his uniform pocket, where he’s certain to find them. If our luck continues to hold, he’ll drink himself to death before anyone realizes someone might have gotten past him to the complete records.”
    “Just how complete are we talking about?” Kambil asked, leaning forward in his chair to stare at Delin. “Just the commoners—or the noble groups as well?”
    “The answer is both, but don’t get your hopes
too
high,” Delin replied, a shadow passing over his pleasure. “The records concerning Adriari’s group weren’t with the others, leading me to guess that the Advisors consider them no one else’s business. That means we can’t confirm or disprove the surmise that it was Adriari who put out those fires last night.”
    “And so, in the absence of proof either way, we have to assume the worst,” Kambil said, leaning back again. “Believing anything else would be kidding ourselves, and we can’t afford to do that. But you did find out about the commoners in orange? When we missed our chance to question them last night, I thought Hiblit might have taken us down to oblivion with him.”
    “No, all the information we’ll need was right there,” Delin said, turning to the tea service and beginning to pour himself a cup. “They really are the strongest of all the peasant groups, but a memorandum at the beginning of the file recommends that some of them be shifted around before a Blending is formed. Apparently they get along a bit too well.”
    “And they’ll probably be told that the change is for the good of the group,” Kambil said with amusement. “I’ll admit I’m surprised, but I suppose I shouldn’t be. If we were defeated easily by commoners, our loss would reflect on the entire nobility.”
    “But two of our groups
will
be defeated,” Delin reminded him, turning with his cup of tea to find a chair. “Now that I’ve seen exactly who’s involved, I can appreciate the point. The two groups are composed of the lowest segment of nobility, and the offspring of those who are out of favor with—or have annoyed—the Advisors.”
    “Neither of whom will know they’re
meant
to lose,” Kambil said, nodding. “And the strongest commoner group will be broken up. I now suspect we may have judged Rigos a bit too harshly. And what of the group Mardimil is in, the second strongest? Will they also be broken up?”
    “The memorandum mentioned proposed attempts to disrupt their friendliness with one